Dispensing container



June 21, 1949. c. H. TH 'MPsoN DISPENSING ponumnn Filed Dec. 17, 1946CLAUDE H. THOMPSON,

(Ittomeg Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensing containers forpaper and like sheet material which is usually supplied in roll form.

Broadly stated, the invention contemplates a dispensing container of thetype providing an effective dirt and dust-proof housing for a roll ofpaper or like material which is required to be kept in clean conditionprior to withdrawal, that is moreover so constructed as to permit readyreloading of a roll as well as simple withdrawal of the paper in desiredlengths, and whose design is such that it may be simply andinexpensively manufactured.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of adispensing container incorporating simple and effective means forholding the free end of the paper in position such that the edge portionthereof resulting from a preceding tearing-on" operation may be readilygrasped and withdrawal of paper from the roll accordingly facilitated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a dispensingcontainer for sheet material, such as paper usually supplied in rollform, L

of the type wherein withdrawal of the paper in desired length iseffected by drawing the free end of the sheet from the roll in upwarddirection and tearing the same against a tearing or cutting edgeprovided on the container cover, for example, which incorporates novelmeans to hold the free end of the paper in position such that its edgeportion. forms an upstanding lip capable of being readily grasped so asto facilitate withdrawal of the paper from the container.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a dispensingcontainer for a roll of paper of the type wherein the paper is drawnupwardly from the roll and over the top edge of the container frontwall, which is provided with means operating more or less automaticallyto hold the free end portion of the paper against the inside face of thecontainer front wall in such manner that the edge portion of the paperwhich extends over said top edge forms an upstanding lip which may bereadily grasped to effect withdrawal of a desired length of paper fromthe roll.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of the inventionwill appear from the following description, taken with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a dispensingcontainer according to the invention which illustrates the hingedmounting of the cover and the manner in which a desired length of paperis severed from the roll as by tearing thesame against a cutting ortear-oil edge provided on the cover front flange;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view looking into an end of the containerbody, the view illustrating one form of holding means effective to holdthe free end of the paper so that its edge portion forms an upstandinglip which may be readily grasped so as to facilitate paper withdrawal;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar section through the container with the cover inraised position, the view illustrating the action of the holding meanson the free end of the paper; and

Fig. 5 is a similar section illustrating modified form of holding means.

Referring to the drawings, a dispensing container according to theinvention comprises an open top container body generally designated IIIwhich is closed at its top by a hinged cover H. Preferably, thecontainer body is of integral, onepiece construction and includes afront wall l2, end walls 53 and I4, and a bottom of wall l5. Byreference to Figs. 1 and 2, the end walls carry integral attaching tabs18, I! which are preferably in-turned as shown and are pierced toprovide suitable openings 18 through which an attaching screw may bepassed, thereby to secure the container against a vertical supportingsurface such as a wall functioning as a rear wall closing the containerbody.

The bottom wall 15 is formed as a horizontal continuation of the frontwall l2 and extends rearwardly for the full depth of the container body.Preferably, the inner end or edge portion of the bottom wall is inclinedupwardly as by gently curling the same along an arc of large radius, andits depth dimension is such that the inner edge of the bottom wallengages against the front faces of the attaching tabs I6, I! somewhatabove the bottom edge thereof, whereby the bottom wall leans against andis thereby effectively supported along its rear edge by said flaps. Dueto this inward support, no positive connection of the bottom wall toeither the end walls [3, M or said attaching tabs is provided, and thefabrication of the container body is accordingly simplified.

The cover I l is shown to be hingedly connected to the rear top cornersof the container end walls l3, 14 by means of hinge pintles I9, 20 whichare preferably formed as integral tangs initially extending outwardlyfrom the cover at its rear corners. In assembling the cover on thecontainer body, the tangs are bent downwardly and thence inwardlythrough pivot holes 2| provided in the box ends as shown, with theresult that the inbent ends of the tangs are masked from view. The coverII is moreover provided with end flanges 22 which lap the end walls l3,[4 of the container, and with a front flange 23 which laps the containerfront wall and whose lower horizontal edge 24 provides a cutting ortear-off, against which a desired length of paper drawn from the rollmjayrbe torn.

It willbe understood that the container as herein contemplated will havethe proper interior dimensions as to house the roll of paper *or likesheet material to be dispensed desire'tl lengths. The closedconstruction of the container maintains the paper roll in'leaneon'dition prior to use, and the swingicover permits simplere-loading as well as ready access to the free end of the paper therein.Whenit'isdesired to sever a length of paper from the roll, the :cover' Il manuallyii'aised, *andthe free' 'end' of the paper is grasped anddrawn upwardlyian'd then rover the top 1 edge ifof i the :container'fr'ont wan; l2. 7 Upon 'lowering of the cover to itsclosed position,:the desired :length of paper "may -b'e severed by tearing i it againstthe cutting bedge -fl o'fithe' cover top flange :23, the cover beingmeantime held 'irrclosedfpositien.

To insure easy -w-ithdrawal of the paper from the roll, it is ofadvantage that the roll be mountedso: that it' 'oan turn freely withinlthe i'container as the =paper i is withdrawn. =:However, thiS fr'eemounting :of *the :ir'o'll :intro'du'ces thedisadvanta'ge that the freeend thereofrha's .fa tendency, when thecover is'raisd, :toJcur1'ba'ckonthe roll or otherwise fall away from'ithe top-edgeof th'e cohtamer front'=wa1l, so "that it roannot be readily grasped. To .overcome -t'his'rdisadvantage, "the invention 'providesmeansfor holding the free'en'd vof the paper :against the inneriface of the :container front wall: and:adjacent 'its1top'*edge,'- with tliei'result 'thatnthe-" edgei portionthereofg i. e. the portion immediately adjacent the torn edge of thjepaper, provides a substantially upstanding "lip which may berread'ilygrasped bythe fingersgso astofacilitatepap'er withdrawal.

:"As. seen in Figs .12,:3 and wfsu'cnholding means ill-ustrativ'elytakes the form: of a 'swing -'b'ail having a holding zbar orrodfporti'on t2t extending substantially'theifulhwidth of the'containerfront wall 12 and end legs 21, 28 which extend' 'to the Trear L of thecontainer I and parallel --'to the 'con tainehendWalls (3,14. The' e'ndsof the'legs -zl, -28xarez angu'larly oifs'et tmpr ovide trunnions l 30which .are passedthrough aligrie'd 'openings' pr'o- *vided for theirreception in the end Walls, sai'd :openings \being located adjacent the'rean Vertical edges "of the end walls and substantially above :thecontainer bottom t5. 'EI-he lengthtofvth'eileg's to hold the free endof:ythe paper 1 against said inner: face 9 in both the closed-and openpositions m the cover. When the: cover is-raiseditmeffect paperwithdrawal, the edge portion of the paper strip extending over the topedge of the container front wall has a tendency to move rearwardly, i.e. to coil itself on the roll within the container. However, consequentto the action of the holding bar in securing the free end portion of thepaper, its edge portion can move rearwardly by only a limited amount,and in actual practice will assume a position somewhere between thedotted kand full line ipositionsf thereof, shown in Fig. 4. "When so"positioned, the aforesaid edge portion forms a substantially uprightgrasping lip which can be readily grasped to effect withdrawal of aCd'esired length of the paper from the roll. Due to the swing. mountingof the holder, it may swing "aW ajy''from the' container front wall asthe paper isgdrawn invupward*direction from the roll, and hence imposesno substantial restriction to paper Withdrawal.

Referring to Fig. 5, illustrating a modified form :of mean's 'forho'ld'ing the r freeenilof the paper against the "inner face :of "the icontainer front wan, :sueh mp'rises a .=straig htway extend ing bar uo'fi omewhat greater length'than tne'widthprthe"container and "whose.ends proij-ec't thro'u'g h "openings *or slots 3 3 r formediin the endwalls 13 v I 4. Said -sIots are-downwardly ineline'd to the 5 frontwallfias shown,With'the result that the-'ro'd tends to movebygravitytoit's lowermost position, :in wnich it" engages zagai'n'st thei-nner fa'ce "or the -=container *front wall and somewhat bel ow the(top edge thereof, whereby substantially the same holding action is''obtained 'as w'i'th the bail-type io'f rholdin'grmeans. 'As' with i thprior described fty pe, upward withdrawing m n iniparte'd to thefree enddft'he palp'e'r eff 5 limited separating": movement of the holdingba'r=relative to paperg'andhence-the holding bar poses no restriction l-"to"the free withdrawal of tl ie "paper 'in desired 'lengths. ion the"other hand, the holding bar functions similarly to tlie prioridescribed-"bail type holding means in sec'uring the fre'e end "of thepaper against the I inner face of the container fr'ont -wa11 andrelatively rcldse to' thetop': edge'the'reof over which the? paperistlrawngso that the ed'gegp'c'irtion ofithe paper ay provi'de asiibstantiallv upright grasping lip serving to facilitate-paerwithdrawal.

With'out further analysis, it will besee'n theta dispensing :rcon'tainer a's d'escribed achieves ithe abover stated and other objectsof 'the invention inpractical'rand eliective manner. A dispensingcontainer -.characterized as :in the foreg'oing can be readily andinexpensively:manufactured;'sinee its: simple "design lends itself'toquantity-produc- "tion, Moreover, a dispensing "container incorporatingmeans iof the general-typedescribed or zholdingithe free 'end ofu thepaper in position siich .tt'liat itsterminal edge portion forms agra'sping dip irepresents fan eextre'mely p'rac'tical yet simpleimprovement in -dispensing containers"of the tt pelierein'fcontemplated. ;les manymhangesconld:beimadeinicarrying out the:above reconstructions without '"departing from theiascope ofthefinvention';itis intended that all container body to a verticalsupporting surface which serves to close the rear of the container body,and a bottom wall integral with said front wall and being inclinedupwardly in its rear edge portion so as to bear against the front facesof the attaching tabs and thereby derive support from said tabs.

2. A dispensing container for a roll of paper and like strip material,comprising a one-piece container body having a front wall, end wallsintegral with the front wall, attaching tabs integral with the end wallsproviding for attachment of the container body to a vertical supportingsurface which serves to close the rear of the container body, and abottom wall integral with the front wall and extending rearwardly tosaid attaching tabs, the rear edge of said bottom wall leaning againstthe front faces of said tabs but being devoid of any physical securementwith said tabs and with said end walls.

3. A dispensing container for a roll of paper and like strip material,comprising a one-piece container body having a front wall, end wallsintegral with the front wall, attaching tabs integral with the end wallsproviding for attachment of the container body to a vertical supportingsurface which serves to close the rear of the container body, and abottom wall integral with said front wall and extending to saidattaching tabs, said bottom wall in its rear portion being inclinedupwardly by an amount such that its rear edge engages against the frontfaces of the tabs above their bottom edges.

4. A dispensing container for a roll of paper and like strip material,comprising an open top container body including front and end walls anda cover hingedly connected to said end walls, the cover having adepending front flange adapted to lap the container front wall and whoselower edge provides a tear-off edge for the paper which is drawnupwardly from the roll and over the top edge of the container frontwall, and a holding member extending substantially from end to end ofthe container body and mounted so as to move under its own weight intoengagement with the inner face of the front wall adjacent the top edgethereof, said member being operative to hold the free end of the paperin substantially upright position against said face whereby its edgeportion forms an upstanding grasping lip.

5. A dispensing container for a roll of paper and like strip material,comprising an open top container body including front and end walls anda cover hingedly connected to said end Walls, the cover having adepending front flange adapted to lap the container front wall and whoselower edge provides a tear-off edge for the paper which is drawnupwardly from the roll and over the top edge of the container frontwall, and a longitudinal holding member extending substantially from endto end of the container and being mounted for swinging movement about anaxis extending through said end walls adjacent the rear edges thereof toa position in which it leans under its weight against the inner face ofsaid front wall and adjacent the top edge thereof, said holding memberbeing operative to hold the free end of the paper in substantiallyupright position against said face so that its edge portion forms anupstanding grapsing lip.

6. A dispensing container for a roll of paper and like strip material,comprising an open top container body including front and end walls anda cover hingedly connected to said end Walls, the cover having adepending front flange adapted to lap the container front wall and whoselower edge provides a tear-off edge for the paper which is drawnupwardly from the roll and over the top edge of the container frontwall, and a longitudinally extending holding member having its endsextending through slots formed in said end walls adjacent the top edgesthereof, said stops being inclined downwardly to said front wall,whereby the holding member is movable by gravity into a position suchthat it holds the free end of the paper against the inner face of thecontainer front wall and adjacent the top edge thereof.

7. A two-part dispensing container for a roll of paper and like stripmaterial, one part comprising an open top container having front and endwalls and a bottom wall, the other part comprising a cover providing aclosure for said open top including a hinge for connecting itself to thecontainer body, the hinge comprising integral tangs on the cover at itsrear corners providing hinge pintles, said tangs being bent downwardlyfrom the plane of the cover and outwardly of the end walls of thecontainer body and thence inwardly so as to extend through pivot holesprovided in the upper rear corners of said end walls.

CLAUDE H. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,122,672 Winter Dec. 29, 19141,514,399 Steiner Nov. 4, 1924 1,713,857 Rapp May 21, 1929 1,917,376 LeeJuly 11, 1933 2,177,430 Greiser Oct. 24, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 381,649 Germany Sept. 22, 1923

